Table 3. Standard errors for defined benefit retirement plans: Employee contributionrequirement and method of contribution, State and local government workers, NationalCompensation Survey, March 2009

Characteristics

Employeecontributionrequired

Fixed percent of earnings1

Employeecontibutionnot required

Total

Mean fixedpercent ofearnings

Median fixedpercent ofearnings

All workers

2.0

2.0

0.1

0.0

2.0

Worker characteristics

Management, professional, and related

2.1

2.1

0.1

0.0

2.1

Professional and related

2.0

2.0

0.1

0.0

2.0

Teachers

2.1

2.2

0.1

0.1

2.1

Primary, secondary, and special education school teachers

2.2

2.2

0.1

0.1

2.2

Registered nurses

4.9

4.9

0.4

0.7

4.9

Service

2.1

2.2

0.1

0.2

2.1

Protective service

2.9

3.1

0.1

0.4

2.9

Sales and office

2.6

2.7

0.1

0.2

2.6

Office and administrative support

2.6

2.7

0.1

0.4

2.6

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

2.9

3.0

0.2

0.5

2.9

Production, transportation, and material moving

3.0

3.4

0.2

0.3

3.0

Full time

2.0

2.1

0.1

0.0

2.0

Part time

2.2

2.6

0.2

0.1

2.2

Union

2.3

2.3

0.1

0.4

2.3

Nonunion

2.4

2.5

0.1

0.0

2.4

Wage percentiles:2

Lowest 10 percent

3.4

3.7

0.2

0.8

3.4

Lowest 25 percent

2.4

2.5

0.1

0.1

2.4

Second 25 percent

2.6

2.6

0.1

0.2

2.6

Third 25 percent

2.6

2.6

0.1

0.3

2.6

Highest 25 percent

1.6

1.7

0.1

0.1

1.6

Highest 10 percent

1.7

1.9

0.1

0.3

1.7

Establishment characteristics

Service-providing industries

2.0

2.0

0.1

0.0

2.0

Education and health services

1.9

1.9

0.1

0.0

1.9

Educational services

1.9

2.0

0.1

0.0

1.9

Elementary and secondary schools

2.0

2.1

0.1

0.0

2.0

Junior colleges, colleges, and universities

3.3

3.5

0.2

0.4

3.3

Health care and social assistance

4.4

4.4

0.3

0.8

4.4

Hospitals

5.4

5.5

0.3

0.7

5.4

Public administration

3.0

3.0

0.1

0.0

3.0

1 to 99 workers

3.2

3.2

0.3

0.1

3.2

1 to 49 workers

2.9

3.0

0.3

0.3

2.9

50 to 99 workers

4.9

5.0

0.4

0.4

4.9

100 workers or more

2.0

2.0

0.1

0.0

2.0

100 to 499 workers

2.9

3.0

0.1

0.1

2.9

500 workers or more

2.2

2.2

0.1

0.0

2.2

State government

3.6

3.4

0.2

0.0

3.6

Local government

1.7

1.8

0.1

0.0

1.7

Geographic areas

New England

0.2

4.8

0.2

0.8

0.2

Middle Atlantic

1.4

1.3

0.2

0.0

1.4

East North Central

5.5

5.4

0.2

0.1

5.5

West North Central

2.2

2.2

0.4

0.5

2.2

South Atlantic

6.0

6.1

0.1

0.0

6.0

East South Central

2.4

2.4

0.4

1.8

2.4

Pacific

5.5

5.3

0.2

0.0

5.5

Footnotes:

1The employee contributes a fixed percentage of his or her earnings to the retirement plan.

2The percentile groupings are based on the average wage for each occupation surveyed, which may include workers both above andbelow the threshold. The percentile values are based on the estimates published in the "National Compensation Survey: OccupationalEarnings in the United States, 2008." See Technical Note for more details.

NOTE: Dash indicates no workers in this category or data did not meet publication criteria. For definitions of major plans, key provisions,and related terms, see the "Glossary of Employee Benefit Terms" at www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/glossary20082009.htm.